@nngreaa of the ?nite?! Satahza
Washington, E01 213515

July 16, 2018

The Honorable Jim Mattis
Secretary of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC. 20301

Dear Secretary Mattis:
As Members of the House of Representatives with an interest in national security, we write to

you to reinforce congressional intent when it comes to the implementation of reports covering
climate change and the threat it poses to the United States and our armed forces operating and

training at home and around the globe.

On May 10, 2018, The Washington Post reported that during revision of the Department?s
January 2018 Screening Level Vulnerability Assessment Survey Report, defense officials
omitted information relating to how military installations report their vulnerability to sea level
rise, how climate change is affecting the operating environment in the Arctic, and what potential I
risks the Department faces with'respect to its ability to conduct training and testing activities that
have important impacts on our readiness.

While we appreciate the need to update reports when it is appropriate and necessary, we are
disturbed that the revisions .may have intentionally targeted mentions of climate change. The 
facts are clear: climate change poses a threat to the Department and the nation.

Congress recognized those facts on a bipartisan basis in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense
Authorization Act, which expressed the sense of Congress that climate change is a direct threat
to national security. Furthermore, the Congressionally mandated report requires each Service
within the Department to assess the top ten military installations likely to be affected by climate
Change over the next 20 years and specific mitigations that may be necessary to ensure the
continued operational viability and resiliency of the identified installations. The provision also
instructs combatant commanders to incorporate the effects of a changing climate into their
strategic plans.

This language was supported in both the House Armed Services Committee and during a roll call
vote on the Floor of the House. We expect that when this report is delivered to Congress later
this year, it will contain candid assessments in line with the clear instructions passed by Congress
and signed into law by the President.

We reiterate that the statutory language is quite clear; however, should there be any ambiguity
that you believe will impair your ability to ful?ll Congress?s mandate, we are, of course, at your

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disposal. Thank you for your service and dedication to the United States, and for your continued
focus on this issue as you ful?ll your duties as Secretary of Defense.

Sincerely,

?ow sud-u!

Eli?3e M. Stefank - 1

Ted Deutch

 

 

 



 
    
 
 

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